A pretty lackluster package that could have been so much more if the platform elements, which previous games focused on, were given attention in the newest game. Instead, the platforming is mainly a way to get in between mini-games and offers no challenge at all.

After you beat all 1,001 puzzles, you can wipe the memory and go again. They tend to reuse words and clues. After a few puzzles, you'll know what word they want.

Spyro’s new developer, Vicarious Visions, has changed the focus of Spyro to mini-games, which are very easy, boring and repetitive; they have also taken away the 3-D look of the games, which presents some problems in gameplay, not forgetting the fact that the 3-D isometric look simply looked better.

Invisiballs is an interesting and unique idea unfortunately held back by a general lack of depth, variety and content. While there’s certainly nothing quite like this on Nintendo Switch at the moment, Invisiballs feels like too basic a package to keep you hooked for much longer than a few sessions. Perhaps future updates will add some interesting new features.

At the end of the day, this is a sub-par port of an average game. The story in Blair Witch isn’t anything special even if the main character was good, poorly programmed AI hampers innovative mechanics, the game design isn’t that thought out, and the game’s atmosphere and aesthetic are hurt by this port’s low resolution. A great set of ideas that fumble when it comes to the execution, and an adorable dog doesn’t really save it. I love the Switch and want as many games as possible to come out on it, but Blair Witch really shows that not every game should.

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise is another messy, frustrating and at times broken experience… but then again so was the first game. The story once again is a highlight with a cast of strangely acting characters sure to make you chuckle or downright confused. Unfortunately, seeing the tale unfold is slowed massively with dull and tedious quests aplenty. Big fans of the original will likely find exactly what they’re looking for here but for others, there are just too many issues technical or otherwise sure to prevent you from actually enjoying yourself.

For fans of the series, BIT.TRIP FATE delivers the same awesome music and visuals with the most interesting theming whilst having just okay shooting gameplay. It’s still good in some regards, but if there’s one to miss it’s this one.

It’s a great shame that I didn’t enjoy Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee as much as I did Oddworld: New N’ Tasty and Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath. Some of it comes down to ageing poorly, but a lot of it is simply feeling like the gameplay doesn’t really translate very well to a 3D environment. For the Oddworld-mad like myself, it’s still worth playing through for its charm and occasionally smart puzzles, but for anyone on the fence, it’s probably the least recommendable game of the series.

Word Search by POWGI isn’t going to that’s blow you away with its ingenuity nor is it a particularly exciting experience. Instead, it’s 300 plus word search puzzles with a four-player element thrown in for good measure. It’s an easy way to pass the time sure, but one that’s also devoid of any real substance. Exactly what you expect it to be, no more, no less.

Over the last few years, we have seen titles such as My Friend Pedro and Katana ZERO hone in on a similar Woo spirit with enough spin to deem them both quite different and unique experiences. However, there’s a fine line between influence and replication and The Hong Kong Massacre’s over-reliance on capturing the magic of Hotline Miami and Max Payne suffocates it under its own lost identity. If The Hong Kong Massacre had very little to compare itself to, then it would probably be regarded as a classic in the making. Unfortunately, that’s not the case and it’s clear by example that even the Woo formula had to evolve at some point.

Every piece doesn’t quite slot into place correctly in Animated Jigsaws: Beautiful Japanese Scenery. The whole experience feels like such an amateurish effort, whether that be seen in the unimaginative presentation, the high price point for such limited content, or the three looping music tracks that you will soon mute before they’re allowed the time to descend into monotony.

So boring that you only have to play it for a couple minutes to figure out that you have already played the whole extent of the game.

Bottom line, there’s nothing inherently wrong with Super Destronauts DX – the game plays fine, looks polished enough and features numerous mode types. The problem I have with it though is that nothing about it shines and no part of the game has me eager to jump back in any time soon. Super Destronauts DX is a functional arcade shooter that’s distracting for a short while but with nothing truly helping it stand out in a growing sea of quality Nintendo eShop releases, it’s an experience easily forgotten.

NORTH carries an important message that it wants to impart, but whether it manages to successfully convey it to the player is debatable. The cyberpunk atmosphere helps it to stand apart from other games on the Nintendo eShop. But, with the developer having exerted more effort to create unpredictable and trippy scenes, you soon come to the realization that it is reading the letters sent from brother to sister that beat at the heart of the experience. In comparison, everything else feels meaningless.

It’s hard to complain too much about Fight Crab when you know how self-aware it really is. The troublesome controls and repetitive gameplay are all clearly a part of the joke but even laughing can be tiring if it’s all you’re doing. Fight Crab definitely has its moments of fun and stupidity, but it’s not got enough meat on the bones to make it feel like anything more than a fun concept.

Beneath the hue of its pulsating neon glow, Neonwall constructs itself around an interesting concept but struggles to find a way to make it as engaging as it needs to be. It will boggle your mind in ways unlike any other Nintendo eShop release, but lacks the staying power to maintain your attention for long beyond completion.

I guess Ninja Striker! is a platform game, with rhythm mechanics. It could also be a title that just requires you hit the attack button at certain points to breeze through levels before reaching the real fun in the boss fight. If you don’t care about scores or stars, the game loses so much appeal, because the ‘story’ is non-existent. This will appeal to perfectionists and maybe speedrunners who want to showcase skills, but it left me wanting so much more.

Would I recommend it? Not really. Is it a good game? No. But I love the fact that it’s out there. I also love the fact that it’s a game where death is encouraged. However, because we want him to die, it does remove any tension or risk of failure, therefore lacks excitement.

Ice Cream Surfer won’t surprise you nor will it amaze you. What it delivers is a fairly average shoot ‘em up experience wrapped in a cutesy exterior. And with the Switch already having received examples of this genre including the recently released, and excellent, Ikaruga, Ice Cream Surfer has a hard time standing tall against its competition.

Even looking past the game’s sordid perversions, Gal*Gun 2 never becomes as entertaining as it needs to be to hold your attention for long. In many ways, that’s a shame as, while the game’s erotic nature may be an immediate turn off to some, it exists in an uncontested genre on Nintendo Switch.

There’s not really much more to be said about SkyScrappers other than that having a vertical Tate Mode is always a nice feature if you happen to own a stand to support it. I suppose the benefit of such an addition along with multiple Joy-Con controllers at the ready does make this particular game somewhat suited for Nintendo Switch. It’s just a shame that there isn’t enough here to keep you coming back for more.

Don’t Die, Mr. Robot! DX is a disappointingly simple experience further let down by its unappealing presentation. While there is some enjoyment to be had when you first start playing, that feeling doesn’t exactly last. On a system that is currently over-flowing with great eShop experiences, Don’t Die, Mr. Robot! DX does little to stand out from the competitive crowd resulting in a package that’s average at best.

On the whole, Close to the Sun is an engaging experience and one that I found hard to put down. It wasn’t always the story that kept me going, it was the overall atmosphere, the claustrophobia of the Helios. Certain moments stayed with me after putting down the controller; hiding behind crates as a crazed man stalked the halls or the dashing jumps made to reach a tram taking me to a new area of the ship. It’s a great homage, but that’s its strongest feature.

Apparently, Bandai Namco Entertainment is working on a fix, but, as of writing this, we have no idea when this will be coming out. I had considered waiting for the patch and reviewing it after the fact, but the best-case scenario of this patch would be reporting on a simple, solid version of a classic game that deserves better. This could have been a way to right the missteps of the previous remaster, but that’s not what we got. Tales of Symphonia is not my favorite game in this series, but I’m worried about what it would mean if this is the new standard for Tales of remasters going forward. I hope this is fixed soon because the game underneath this is quite good.

If you don’t have a pair of nostalgia glasses to hand, then it’s hard to justify purchasing two separate compilations that are little more than a ROM dump with a price tag. The only reason why both of the Namco Museum Archives volumes are worth investing in is if you have a childhood attachment to any of the console versions listed, or have a genuine interest in compiling together yesteryear gaming history in a portable library. The lack of extra features completely takes away from the game’s meaning. After all, isn’t the sole purpose of a museum to provide a taste of the past in an informative way?

So much more could have been done with the hero to open up multiple playthroughs, even something as simple as allowing different classes of hero. The mechanics are there in the enemies after all. The idea is very good, but the execution is sloppy. Most of my time with Devious Dungeon saw me walking through levels destroying everything in sight for coins, then buying the next best gear I could get, before grinding through the next batch of levels.

Never Give Up doesn’t have much to offer that you haven’t already seen before from the genre and any attempt it does try at separating itself from the herd, unfortunately, make the experience worse rather than better. From its dated sense of humor and ho-hum art style to its uninspired premise of repeating slowly evolving levels Never Give Up is a tough recommendation especially when there are far better examples already out there that won’t leave you rolling your eyes with embarrassment.

Although Ben 10: Power Trip doesn’t have a lot to offer for anyone over the age of 10, it’s a perfectly fine game for kids. It’s biggest issues are how poorly it performs on Switch but for many kids, that’s probably not going to be a big problem and all they’re going to want is to be able to play as Ben 10 and his aliens and Power Trip certainly allows that.